A cola-based syrup wouldn't be unprecedented. At the old Honolulu Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, David Chan (former Trader Vic's bartender) used a cola-based syrup in both his Mai Tais and Navy Grogs.

I'm hoping to make a trip to the Tiki-Ti during my visit to L.A. next month. I've never been and I want to try one of these!
_________________David J. Montgomery
Professor Cocktail

The only ingredient that wasn't agreed upon is orgeat. And it appears from the latest comments that it's not in the drink either.

And, now, there is a new mystery... Some kind of syrup/juice that is adding a sweetness to the drink that is brown/red in color and turns the drink a dirty, yellow color. And, "they say it's something you would never think of".

So, I was racking my brain for a few days and came up with prune juice? Opinions? Thoughts?

There are a lot of strange syrups/juices/extracts/liquors used in tiki drinks like: maple syrup, fassionola, honey, falernum, cream of coconut, pernod, allspice dram, etc. So, prune juice could have definitely been used in trying to add a dimension to a drink. I've never heard it used but why not?

I don't think a commercial bar with a fixed drink list would stock odd ingredients unless they are in another drink. We need someone who lives near Tiki-Ti to make a couple of these and sneak in some of these trial recipes in small disposable water bottles and taste them on the spot against the real thing.

From the Captain's Inn, Long Beach, California, circa 1962. We'll never know if the Captain's Inn was "the Southland's most elegant waterfront restaurant," but it certainly was the largest. The five dining rooms included "exotic dishes from far away places" in the Corinthian Room, entertainment in the Commodore's Lounge, and "quality spirits" upstairs in the Hukilau Polynesian Room.

It makes a lot of sense that a version of the Captain's Inn's grog would be poured at the Tiki-Ti since it comes from the right era (1962), right location (25 or so miles away from L.A.) and was from one of the area's most elegant restaurants. It appears that a couple of smart alcohol changes were made in order for it to be re-named. Replacing Dark Puerto Rican Rum with Gin sounds way more refreshing. And substituting Myer's Rum with a Coruba Rum float is a step up from the original recipe as well.

It appears the Ray's Mistake originated in 1968 when Ray "mistakenly" poured two wrong syrups when making an Anting Anting. I'm guessing that Simple Syrup was grabbed instead of Falernum (Both are clear.) and Passion Fruit Syrup was used instead of Grapefruit. (Both are a cloudy, yellow color.)

It appears the Ray's Mistake originated in 1968 when Ray "mistakenly" poured two wrong syrups when making an Anting Anting. I'm guessing that Simple Syrup was grabbed instead of Falernum (Both are clear.) and Passion Fruit Syrup was used instead of Grapefruit. (Both are a cloudy, yellow color.)

Once again, I would love to hear some feedback!

~icky

[ This Message was edited by: ickytiki 2013-08-18 15:05 ]

I've been making this recipe for the past few weeks and the drink is AMAZING! I've substituted the Simple Syrup back to the Falernum though.

The RAY'S MISTAKE is often described as sweet. And the drink is not mine in any way , shape or form. I believe the transition listed above shows its true origin. (CAPTAIN'S GROG ---> ANTING ANTING ---> RAY'S MISTAKE) So, actually, most of the credit should go to The Captain's Inn's "CAPTAIN'S GROG" recipe. Nonetheless, I believe this could be it:

I spent a lot of this past Saturday at the Tiki Ti. I'm looking forward to trying some of your versions of Rays Mistake tonight! Oh and I think something that may affect the flavor profile is the fact that it's blended, not shaken.

This has to be my absolute FAVORITE cocktail ever. The only other that I really CRAVE is the Black Magic aThe Mai Kai…